"For God's sake, Kay," Fogarty almost shouted, "will you shut the hell up."

She spun toward him in her chair as if she might slap him too.

Her husband stood and put his hands on her shoulders. Jesse hoped she didn't have a weapon.

"Mrs. Hopkins," Jesse said.

"You either get yourself under control, or I'll arrest you for assault on a minor child."

Kay didn't look at him. She shook her shoulders, trying to dislodge her husband's hands, and looked at Abby Taylor.

"Well, goddamn it, what about you? You're a woman."

"I think you should be quiet, Mrs. Hopkins. I think you should let your attorney speak for you. I know Chief Stone. He will do what he says he will do."

Slumped on his spine in the chair by the window, with his feet still on the windowsill, Petrocelli opened his eyes and pushed his glasses up on his nose, "You've probably guessed, Brendan," he said in a strong New York accent, "what the heart of our defense will be if you bring false arrest charges."

"I don't like to guess, Nick."

"Regardless of the final disposition of the case, these tapes are very clear evidence that Chief Stone and the Paradise Police had reasonable cause to arrest these boys."

"What's that mean?" Kay Hopkins said.

"It means he'll pretty likely get to play these tapes in court," Fogarty said.

"Can he do that?"

"Probably," Fogarty said.

"Abby?"

"I concur," Abby Taylor said.

"But they can't try these kids for the crime," Jencks said.

"No," Abby said.

Jencks nodded and looked at Jesse.

"Okay. My son and I are not going to bring any false arrest suit," he said.

Jesse nodded. Jencks looked at his son.

"You work too hard at being a tough guy," he said.

"We'll talk about that at home."

"You're a tough guy," Snapper said.

"Maybe too tough," Jencks said.

"We'll talk about that too."

He stood up.

"We're free to go?"

Jesse nodded again. Jencks took hold of his son's arm and stood him up from the chair. Snapper didn't resist. His father's hand seemed to make him still.

"Come on, Snap," Jencks said, and they walked from the room without looking at Kay or Charles Hopkins as they went.

"I don't know why you hang out with a boy like that. No mother, father working all the time. No wonder he gets in trouble."

"Mrs. Hopkins," Jesse said.

"Snapper's got problems, but he's a stand-up kid. He didn't blame either of your sons, and when he heard them blaming him, he didn't deny it."

"So?"

"So your own two kids are a mess. They're criminals. They burned down a couple's house because the couple was gay, if they even know what it means. Neither would accept any blame.

They blamed Snapper. They blamed each other. Not much honor there, not much loyalty. No pride at all."

"Don't you lecture me about my children," Kay said.

"Lecture's over. But here's a warning. Every day one of us will look at them. We catch them breaking the law, we will do our best to get them the maximum punishment allowed."

"And I'll have you for harassing them."

"Put that energy into getting them some help, ma'am."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Petrocelli spoke again.

"So," he said, "you bringing suit or no."

Fogarty looked at his clients.

"Your call," he said.

Kay Hopkins said, "Well, you're the damned lawyer, Brendan, what do we pay you for?"

"I pay him," Charles Hopkins said.

"No, we won't bring suit."

"Then I see no reason to linger," Fogarty said and stood up.

"You need a ride, Abby?"

"No, I'll stay and talk with Nick and Chief Stone for a minute," she said.

"Okay."

Fogarty looked at his clients.

"We should go," he said.

Charles and Kay Hopkins and their sons stood and walked out without a word. Fogarty nodded at Petrocelli, and at Jesse, and went out after them and closed the door.

TWENTY-FIVE.

"We need more walking-around money," Macklin said.

"How much you figure?" Crow said.

"Got a lot of mouths to feed," Macklin said, "including yours. Still got some preparation time. I figure maybe twenty, twenty-five would do it."

"You got any thoughts?" Crow said.

"Nope. You're the force guy-go force us some money."

When Crow smiled, deep vertical lines indented on each side of his mouth.

"Small bills?" Crow said.

"Be nice," Macklin said.

"See what I can do," Crow said.

When Crow was gone, Macklin went into the kitchen and had coffee and raspberry pie with Faye.

"Think he'll come up with the money?" Faye said.

"Yeah. Crow's the best."

"I thought you were the best, Jimmy."

"Well, yeah, I am, but Crow thinks he's some kind of fucking Apache warrior, you know?"

"Is he Apache?"

"Hell," Macklin said, "I don't know. Says he is."